Mentoring Programs That Broaden Pathways to Graduate Education

Launched in 2022, AvenueM is a collaborative community college to medical school pathway program focused on supporting students who are traditionally underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and increasing representational diversity among physicians in California. This new state initiative developed a transfer partnership between 13 participating community colleges, three four-year institutions, and the UC Davis School of Medicine to provide a guided transfer process and reduce barriers to the health professions for Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Hispanic or Latino, Filipino, Hmong, Cambodian, Lao, Mien, Vietnamese, and other URiM students. Starting at the community college level, accepted students—known as AvenueM Scholars—join a cohort of like-minded students and receive academic support and mentorship at every academic stage. Academic support or wraparound services offered by the program include professional development workshops, internship and clinical opportunities, specialized academic advising, summer residential bridge programs, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation courses, priority application review at UC Davis School of Medicine, and peer mentorship throughout the medical school application and matriculation processes.

The BoilerMENTOR program is available to first-year student-recipients of the Emerging Leaders Scholars Program and students outside of the program who are deemed exceptional. The program focuses on academic success, social support, and role modeling. Students are paired with a peer in their specific academic college who provides support with pursuing academic goals, navigating campus, identifying resources, and studying. The BoilerMENTORS are student leaders who were recommended by their respective multicultural program and who have demonstrated the ability to adjust to the college environment and perform well academically.

The Cal-Bridge Program is a statewide collaboration between the California State University (CSU) system, the University of California (UC) system, California community colleges, and participating out-of-state institutions (e.g., the University of Arizona, the California Institute of Technology, The Ohio State University, The Pennsylvania State University). Cal-Bridge strives to increase underrepresented students’ representation and degree acquisition in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) PhD programs. Participating students receive extensive mentoring (meeting at least twice a month in their junior and senior years) from two faculty mentors: one from UC and one from CSU (home institution). Students also benefit from professional development opportunities focused on academic success and the graduate school application process. In addition, students can take advantage of research opportunities at participating undergraduate institutions and present their research at regional and national academic conferences.

Situated in the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access, the Community Scholars Program (CSP) is focused on enrolling and supporting first-generation and low-income students throughout their time at Georgetown. CSP provides participating students, known as Community Scholars, with academic, personal, and financial support; a summer program prior to the students’ first year; first-year experience seminars; a formal peer mentoring program; academic advising; counseling; and study groups. Beyond their first year, Community Scholars receive continued academic and personal support through seminars, one-on-one meetings with program staff, social outings, and community service opportunities. Community Scholars are also eligible for an annual summer scholarship that promotes their participation in internships, study abroad, research, and community engagement opportunities.

Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the University Center of Exemplary Mentoring at Duke University aims to increase racial diversity among PhD students in engineering and the physical sciences and strives to integrate these students into the university’s research community. The program consists of four main initiatives, including Sloan scholarships; recruitment of historically minoritized students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); a boot camp to provide students information about graduate school and university programs; and mentorship. The mentoring component is a main pillar of the program, which connects students with faculty and peer mentors who provide program participants with academic support, professional development, networking, and well-being support.

The University of Illinois Chicago offers support for graduate students through its Diversifying Faculty in Higher Education in Illinois Fellowship (DFI) and Access to Excellence Fellowship programs. Both programs offer financial support for the duration of participating students’ academic programs. Through the Fellows Mentoring and Support Initiative, graduate students have access to one-on-one meetings with the assistant and associate dean for mentorship and academic or career advising. Participating students are also paired with more senior graduate students for mentorship. The initiative offers various professional development opportunities for students to build skills and share their research, including conferences and career-related workshops.

The Getting into Graduate School (GiGS) program is a collaboration between UC Berkeley’s Office for Graduate Diversity (OGD) and the Graduate Assembly (GA) that is focused on encouraging undergraduate students to pursue graduate education and assisting students with the graduate school search and application process. The program is open to all UC Berkeley undergraduates, but special consideration is given to first-generation, low-income, transfer, and other historically underrepresented student groups. Mentees are matched with a graduate student mentor; they must meet with their mentor at least three times per semester to develop application materials (e.g., personal statement, resume or curriculum vitae, or other application materials) and create a timeline or plan for after graduation. Mentors work with two to three undergraduate students each. GiGS students also have access to GiGS staff as well as to workshops and webinars on graduate school application materials.

Housed within the Office of Graduate Student Life, the Graduate Mentor Program pairs undergraduate students with graduate student mentors who offer support and guidance on exploring graduate studies. The program works in tandem with the McNair Scholars Program at Boston College and is in session from October through May. Students are paired with faculty mentors who they meet with at least twice per semester. Students may have the opportunity to be immersed in the work of their mentors through lab visits, readings and discussions of academic papers, participation in a colloquium or research presentation, and other activities designed by mentors and the McNair staff.

The Graduate Students Mentoring Undergraduates (GSMU) is a collaboration between Cornell University’s Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives (OADI) and the Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement (OISE). Small groups of undergraduate mentees are matched to a team of mentors. Teams have the opportunity to check in with each other at GSMU events and to get to know other mentors in the program. Mentees and mentors are also strongly encouraged to meet individually, as teams, or both with the goal of building a sense of belonging, getting support in navigating campus resources, and gaining exposure to graduate education. This initiative serves Cornell students who are enrolled in the following graduate education prep programs: Pre Professional Programs (P3), OADI Research Scholars Program (ORSP), McNair Scholars Program, and the Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Higher Education Opportunity Programs (HEOP).

Facilitated by UC Davis’ Cross Cultural Center (CCC), the Graduate Students of Color (GSoC) Mentorship Program offers a holistic mentorship program to cultivate relationships between graduate students of color and faculty members to ultimately increase students of color representation in graduate school and the professoriate. This mentoring relationship is also designed to increase students’ connections to the institution and offer students of color support in navigating graduate education. Faculty mentors and student mentees formally apply and commit to being involved for two consecutive quarters, which includes attending monthly meetings and social or academic programs. Participating students also benefit from specialized research and professional development support provided by CCC staff.

GSOCRM is a collaborative program between the UGA College of Education’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and its Office of Research and Graduate Education that is designed to provide students of color with strategic mentorship and skills to pursue and succeed in graduate education and, ultimately, a career in academia. The program is committed to providing students with a faculty or research mentor of color who can share their individual experiences, knowledge, success strategies, and resiliency techniques for completing doctoral education and operating in academia. Student participants also have access to leadership and professional development workshops and events and a strong community of graduate students of color.

HPREP is a national program founded by the Student National Medical Association to recruit Black, Indigenous, and Latino high school students into the fields of health and medical sciences. This program has expanded to various institutions across the United States including Weill Cornell Medical College (the founding institution), Yale School of Medicine, Duke University, the Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program at The City University of New York School of Medicine, the University of North Carolina Medical School, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Northwestern Medicine Feinberg School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and others. The Harvard Medical School HPREP program offers multiple opportunities for formal and informal mentoring from graduate students, faculty, and medical professionals. It also provides participants with professional development through workshops, research projects, and a science-centered curriculum. By providing exposure to career pathways, the program serves as a pipeline for increasing the number of historically minoritized professionals in the sciences.

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program is an initiative designed to increase faculty diversity. Established in 1998 with eight member institutions, the program now includes 51 member institutions across the U.S and has served over 6000 student-fellows. At Berkeley, the program focuses on students with “exceptional academic promise in the humanities or social sciences and potential for academic careers that will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity in the academy.” The program provides participating students, known as fellows, with faculty and graduate student mentorship, as well as guidance on graduate studies exploration that considers their research and curricular interests. Students also prepare for graduate school and professional life through scholarly presentations, workshops, annual conferences, and cultural and educational field trips. If students continue to graduate studies, they can participate in additional Mellon Mays programming, such as an annual summer conference for networking, a proposal writing and dissertation development seminar, a seminar on preparing for the professoriate, and a PhD retreat. Financial support is provided to pursue intellectual projects, prepare for graduate school, and for travel and research. The program is sponsored by the Mellon Foundation.

Co-sponsored by the Graduate School’s Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement and the Future Faculty and Academic Careers office with support from the National Science Foundation’s Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) AGEP, the NextGen Professors Program is a professional development program designed to diversify the professoriate. The program positions Cornell graduate students and postdocs, particularly those who identify with historically underrepresented groups (e.g., first-generation students, students of color, students with disabilities) or “demonstrate[d] a commitment to advancing diversity, inclusion, access, and equity,” to succeed in faculty careers across disciplines. Through a cohort-based learning community, the program helps participants learn to navigate academia, develop research and teaching skills, and compose individualized, development plans through monthly cohort meetings, faculty mentoring sessions, and access to the university’s Future Professors Institute. The NextGen Professors Program is cited in the CIRTL AGEP Toolkit as an exemplar working to improve the climate of doctoral education and the professoriate.

Santa Ana College (SAC) is one of 26 community colleges participating in the Community College Pathways to Law School, an initiative sponsored by the State Bar of California Council on Access and Fairness, which is focused on building a pathway for diverse and historically minoritized community college students to attend top California law schools and increase representational diversity in the legal profession. Participating students are provided with a prescribed curriculum, a guaranteed transfer articulation, specialized academic advising and mentorship from law school advisers, financial aid counseling, Law School Admission Test preparation, and application fee waivers to partner law schools. The SAC Pathway to Law program prepares students for paralegal work and provides students priority admission at six law schools.

SUNY’s Pre-Medical Opportunity Program (Pre-OP) extends the support services and mission of New York State’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) to graduate education. Pre-OP is available to qualifying sophomore EOP students and is designed to increase students of color and socioeconomically disadvantaged students’ access to medical school. The program provides extensive academic and social support for participating students throughout their undergraduate and graduate enrollment. These support services include: formal mentorship with EOP alumni, medical school faculty, medical professionals, and current SUNY medical school students; supplemental tutoring in undergraduate courses necessary to be competitive in medical school admissions; virtual Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparatory courses and study groups; summer enrichment programs during undergraduate studies; advanced clinical, laboratory, and research experiences; and a summer bridge program to smooth students’ transitions into medical school.

Housed in The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Project MALES focuses on improving Latino men’s educational experiences and success throughout the P–20 educational pipeline. Project MALES offers a culturally relevant, research-based, and intergenerational mentoring model that facilitates mentorship relationships between male professionals of color (e.g., graduate students, student affairs professionals, and community members), UT Austin and partner institutions’ Latino undergraduate students, and Latino secondary students (i.e., middle and high school students). Participating undergraduate students are matched with a leader on campus or in the community who serves as a role model for men of color who are pursuing postsecondary education. Undergraduate students in turn serve as mentors for Latino high school and middle school students to develop their interests in postsecondary education. The program enhances both mentors’ and mentees’ community engagement and leadership development. Project MALES’s undergraduate students also benefit from informal mentoring opportunities through the Project MALES Research Institute and the Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color.

Founded in 1995, the McNair Scholars Program is a federally funded TRIO Program that partners with over 150 institutions across the United States. The goal of the program is increasing the number of underrepresented groups in graduate education, including students of color, first-generation and low-income students, and students with disabilities. Iowa State University’s McNair Scholars Program is structured as a two-year experience for student scholars who are paired with a faculty mentor and a graduate student mentor in their field of interest. Students take credit-bearing courses on building academic and research skills their first year and graduate school admissions during the second year. As part of their participation, students can receive funding for projects, professional development, graduate school applications, GRE fees, and more.

The STEM Scholars Program at Iowa State University seeks to create a more diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce so that students from historically underrepresented backgrounds can see themselves as scientists, medical professionals, and leaders in STEM. Participating undergraduate students receive professional and leadership training, alongside academic support and personalized mentorship from peers and program staff. Students also receive guidance related to financial literacy, internships, scholarships, and other professional activities. Once accepted into the program, participants are considered lifelong members of STEM Scholars, creating a community of diverse individuals who can support one another and future STEM professionals.

Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership is a program dedicated to the recruitment, retention, and graduation of Indigenous graduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This partnership includes nine institutions which house the Sloan Scholars Program and offer participating students supplemental financial support, professional development opportunities, and community/networking support. One SIGP program of note is Montana State University’s Indigenous Mentoring Program, a collaborative initiative between researchers at Montana State University, the University of Montana, and Salish Kootenai College, resulting from a research study funded by the National Science Foundation’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate-Transformation program (NSF-AGEP-T). The study examined factors that provide effective mentoring of Indigenous graduate students in STEM fields and led to the program’s specialized support and training model for STEM faculty. The model involves sequenced modules focused on providing STEM faculty the skills to offer mentorship, provide academic and social support, and develop culturally responsive practices to benefit American Indian and Alaskan Native graduate students. Students participating in the program are enrolled in STEM master’s and doctoral degree programs across the university and receive supplemental financial support, a community of Indigenous scholars, and access to leading faculty in their field.

Housed in the Graduate College Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Sloan UCEM at Illinois provides participating students, known as Sloan scholars or Illinois Sloan scholars, with mentorship, professional development, and inclusive financial support to bolster the representation and academic persistence of underrepresented students—specifically African American, Latino, and American Indian or Alaska Native students—across 23 academic programs in the university’s College of Engineering and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The program utilizes a three-pronged mentorship approach, matching scholars with a peer mentor from their respective academic department, a Sloan program or an academic advising mentor, and a research faculty mentor to help students acclimate to institutional and departmental culture and develop an individual development plan (IDP). Scholars also participate in a program-specific orientation, skill-building and networking events, and the university’s Community of Scholars campus visit program and symposium. Scholars are also invited to participate in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s annual Institute for Teaching and Mentoring, an exclusive conference for underrepresented minority PhD students focused on preparing future faculty and professionals in related industries.

The SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program is designed to diversify the professoriate through the recruitment and retention of Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic or Latino graduate students into doctoral programs across institutions in the southern United States. Selected institutions partner with SREB to provide graduate students with tools and resources to prepare them for careers in academia. Participating-students can attend the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, where they will engage in workshops on academic and research skills, networking, and community building. Participating students can receive financial assistance.

The Stanford VPUE STEM Fellows Program is housed within the Office of the Vice President of Undergraduate Education. Dedicated to cultivating an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research, the program seeks to diversify the professoriate through a series of student-led projects. Faculty and staff are invited to nominate sophomore and first-year transfer students for the program. Additionally, students receive financial support for projects, graduate student and faculty mentorship, and research focused professional development.

Truckee Meadows Community College’s (TMCC) Students of Color (SOC) Mentorship Program is committed to helping guide students of color through their community college experience to graduation, transfer to a four-year institution, or transition to the workforce. The SOC Mentorship Program pairs students with faculty and peer mentors who meet with students a minimum of three times during the semester and guide them throughout their experience at TMCC until their graduation from college. Apart from developing academic skills and being provided career planning and advising, students also learn how to develop connections and a sense of belonging in the campus community. Also, as part of the informal mentoring component of the program, students can attend social events, hear from motivational speakers, and participate in culture and art workshops.

The Tide Together Graduate Mentor Program supports underrepresented graduate students in acquiring the personal and professional skills that are needed for success in their future careers. The program is structured in a team-based model that involves students being paired with a faculty mentor and an experienced graduate student mentor. Each mentor must contact their mentee monthly. Students also participate in social events and workshops centered on academic support, wellness, and professional development.

The UTSA Tuggle Scholars Program, named after Benjamin Tuggle, former assistant director for science applications for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is dedicated to mentoring and training graduate students in environmental science and ecology academic programs. The program is housed within the College of Sciences Department of Integrative Biology and funded through the National Science Foundation’s National Research Traineeship Innovations in Graduate Education (NSF NRT IGE) grant. Tuggle scholars receive support for their research, writing, and science communication activities throughout their academic program. Scholars are also given opportunities and resources for professional development to network with past Tuggle scholars and faculty mentors and build a change-focused community. Recognized by Excelencia in Education, the program boasts a Latino student retention rate of 98 percent.

The Undergraduate Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (U-RISE) is a program that encourages minority undergraduate students at minority serving institutions to pursue research opportunities and experiences. Funded by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the goal of UTEP’s U-RISE program is to increase interest in and diversify the pool of candidates in biomedical graduate level programs and research careers. Participating students work with a faculty mentor on a research project and are compensated for their time. UTEP also has a graduate student version of this program, G-RISE, which was created to develop scientists in biomedical research and pays particular attention to career development.